From the Chief Enthusiast's Desk: May Edition

This new recurring segment invites you behind the mic into the rhythms, reflections, and small delights shaping Heather’s month. In this first edition, Heather shares:

• A moment that mattered deeply — and the power of showing up in grief
• What she’s reading and why The Nature of Rest by Eryn Lynum is resonating
• A reflection on seasonal living (and embracing a bedside stack of half-read books)
• Two small sources of delight: panda obsession and a local brand that sparks joy

Whether you’re in a season of stillness, bloom, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a gentle nudge to keep noticing what’s good.

• The Nature of Rest by Eryn Lynum
• The Art of Living in Season by Sylvie Vanhoozer
• Alpine Echo — gear, stickers, and smiles

What’s something you’ve noticed or are grateful for lately? Message or tag the show with your own “from the desk” moment.

Catch more of the story @thanks.for.doing.that.podcast!

Transcript

Early this year, my husband and I created something called the Wall of Wonder. It’s a very visible wall right in the epicenter of our home — the kitchen nook. The idea was that it would be a kind of landing space for the moments of life that brought awe, beauty, delight, and wonder. Our hope was that it would stir our hearts in gratitude and bolster them in resilience.

Each month, I pause and take in what’s accumulated before resetting it for the month ahead. It’s been a really meaningful practice, and if you don’t have something like it, I’d gently encourage you to find your own way of cataloging or calling out delight.

But there are some things I can’t exactly pin to the wall — moments I’ve had with people, ideas that have taken root, a sentence in a book that keeps echoing in my mind. These are the kinds of things I want to offer here.

Maybe you’ll find something meaningful here. Maybe you won’t. But I know it does my heart good to speak it out loud.

There’s a podcast I enjoy called The Lazy Genius, and she has a recurring segment called “What’s Saving My Life Right Now.” This is a little nod to that idea — but with an emphasis on what I’m grateful for right now.

So, in no particular order... let me share From the Chief Enthusiast’s Desk.

One of my closest friends recently lost her husband. It was sudden and shocking, and it left so many of us suspended in disbelief and deep grief.

It’s not the kind of moment anyone wants to be present for — and yet, it was a moment that so many showed up for. And that... mattered.

In the middle of unspeakable loss, clarity brought with it attentiveness, generosity, and presence. The non-essential was laid aside, and people rearranged their lives to simply be there. I watched people come and go — bringing food, household essentials, and a sincere willingness to do whatever needed to be done. I watched people hold grief together, and I was reminded of just how sacred community can be.

This wasn’t a moment I could pin to the Wall of Wonder in my home — but it’s one I won’t soon forget. Even when there are no words, I believe that simply being present matters.

Something else I want to call out is what I’ve been reading each morning with my coffee.

I’ve had the gift of previewing a book that releases May 13, 2025 — The Nature of Rest by Eryn Lynum — and honestly, it has felt like daily manna in this season.

It’s not a book about productivity or self-care tips. It’s about rest as a created rhythm — a gift woven into the fabric of the world and into us. Each chapter explores a pattern from the natural world — like waiting, prioritizing, or hibernating — and connects it to a Sabbath practice or posture. It’s gentle, grounded, and full of meaningful insight.

There are so many great quotes from this book, but I’d like to share one that captures something I am taking with me: 

She says: “Only God knows the number of our days. He wants us to use our time on vital activities that align with our values and his agenda to experience deep, profound moments that breathe life into chronological time and make it so much more than the passing of days.”

I love that. Our days are numbered and they matter. I love the call to steward them well for our joy and God's redemptive purposes in the world. 

AND, I am even more convinced that it is well worth my time to try to point to the various things people are doing with their limited days and remind them and all of us that it matters. I am even more convinced that there is actually something at stake in NOT taking the time to do this. 

In a season that’s felt marked by both beauty and ache, this book has felt like a steady companion — a reminder that I am finite and really owning that is for my good.

If you’re craving something that offers some kindness, clarity and grounding in the midst of all the noise — I recommend you get yourself a copy of this book. You can find it wherever books are sold.

And speaking of books, I feel like I’m in a bit of a pickle right now. I think I have about 5 or 6 partially read books on my bedside. I also have another 10 or so on my wishlist to buy. Can anyone relate? 

I’ve grown a lot over the years in embracing that I don’t have the read a whole book all at once before starting another. In fact, it’s been really cool to see how I seem to routinely pick a book up I’ve previously started only to find that where I’ve left off is incredibly resonant to to the present moment that I’m in. It feels like a bit of a God - wink. 

Another book that has really stayed with me recently is called “The Art of Living in Season”. It also carries with it the idea that the actual world around us and the changing seasons mimic something of our own reality and the various seasons of life. 

This focus on noticing the physical world around me feels like a gift right now - because at time of recording, it is spring and everything that looked dead is coming back to life. It’s incredible. In the foothills of Colorado in springtime, living in season feels like an invitation I can wholeheartedly accept.

And I’ll close out with just a few more small delights I’ve been savoring — The first is that my six-year-old is obsessed with pandas right now. He’s collected three panda stuffies — all different sizes — and he snuggles with them nightly. We’ve had the best time watching videos of baby pandas rolling around, getting into trouble, doing somersaults — it’s a simple joy.

There isn’t much about life right now that feels black and white — but those pandas sure are, and I am wholeheartedly grateful for how delightful it can be to watch them play. It’s a great reminder to me that delight doesn’t need to fix anything to still be worth noticing.

And the last delight I’d like to name has to do with a local company that I’ve just become obsessed with - Alpine Echo. You might recognize the name as a shout out on a previous episode. I’m hoping to have them on a future episode but for now, I content myself with browsing their website - both for great merch AND for a good laugh. They have everything from gear to greeting cards. Many of their clever lines bring a smile to my face.  My favorite items are their clever cards and their stickers. I actually used BOTH of those things in a gift I prepared this very morning. If you are looking for some fun gift ideas, you should check them out.

So there it is. Thanks for letting me name some of the good this month. I hope something in it met you where you are. And until next time, keep noticing, keep celebrating, and, as always, keep finding ways to say — thanks for doing that.